"This is the biggest number of musicians we've ever had on stage in Western Michigan playing Middle Eastern music," says Beau Bothwell, co-director of the Bayati Ensemble, describing an ambitious concert bringing together multiple musical groups.
The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents "Sounds of the Middle East" Thursday, Jan 30 at 7 p.m. at Kalamazoo College's Dalton Theatre in the Light Fine Arts building. The performance unites KSO musicians with the professional Bahar Ensemble, the community-based Bayati Ensemble, and Orchestra Rouh, a youth program originally designed for children of immigrant families.
Syrian soprano Liliane Kheirbek, based in Texas, serves as featured vocalist. The concert includes contemporary Lebanese and Syrian pieces alongside ancient liturgical music, including a fourth-century hymn by St. Ephraim in Syriac, an Aramaic dialect still spoken in some Syrian monasteries.
Liz Youker, KSO vice president of artistic operations and education, explains the collaboration fits within the orchestra's Sound Waves series, which connects symphonic musicians with community artists across genres. The four-concert series includes projects featuring new compositions, hip-hop fusion, and improvisational comedy.
The concert showcases Middle Eastern musical traditions and improvisation. Bothwell debuts a new instrument, the kanun, a 76-string Turkish zither requiring extensive tuning maintenance in Michigan's climate.
KSO concert master Jun Ching-Lin and members of the Burdick-Thorne String Quartet join the performance, along with oboist Gabe Renteria. The collaboration represents a shift from orchestral precision to a style where musicians ornament melodies individually while playing in unison.
Bayati Ensemble rehearses Tuesday evenings at Kalamazoo College during the academic year, welcoming new community members. Those interested can contact Bothwell at Kalamazoo College. Tickets are available at kalamazoosymphony.com.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
